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Osaka, lots of things to see and do there. Shinsaibachi is one of those places.. Kobe, Kyoto and nearby too. perfect for day trips.

Meh, nothing to see in Osaka other than the castle and the walk should be full of cherry blossoms around it.
Shinsaibashi is but a clusterfuck.
We got food though. Good food.

I'm so sad the last time I went back to my hometown (I'm born & raised in Osaka), all those used bookstores near Nanba city were cleared out. It was like piece of my childhood destroyed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Friera

We only have about two more days, so it can only by a one-day trip. Do you consider Nara or Miyajima better than Hakone?

It's less of "out in nowhereland" like Hakone, more of "TONS of temples and old town everywhere".
Same goes for Kyoto, although personally Nara has nothing on Kyoto. I may be biased being a kansai-jin though. Besides, not having the stench of deer-poo everywhere is a plus.

You better visit schools with a local friend, who has been in one of those. If you don't speak Japanese, it can be difficult to state your intent. Not every school is easy to enter. Though, there is one exception. The actuall school from the anime K-On is open all day long for open visits.

Yeah, Miyajima is pretty amazing.
Half the day the temple is on the ocean, the other half of the day water recedes to reveal it completely on ground, you can even WALK to the gigantic arch on the sea.

Years ago when Marmalade Boy was airing, I saw the characters walk around in familiar areas of Miyajima and it took me back to my school days memory. When I was their age, our school too had the exact same trip to Miyajima.

Seriously, Hakone, go another time. Miyajima is magic, where else are you going to see deer, beach, lovely ryokans and a shrine in the sea~~~
(Need to get back there someday) ><;

Aww, its to far - and expensive for Shinkansen - to get there for just one day. I feel like I dont have the time to travel far out from Tokyo, unfortunatly.
The weather is shitty and close to 0 degrees as well, so there might not a Hakonetrip either. :/

Oh well. Ill check out the bar in Roppongi.

Is there any partylife on mondays or tuesday in for example Shinjuku and Ikubukuro? We missed the party this weekend XD
And we are girls, so "cute girls in schooluniforms" are not our thing. And its schoolvacation now

We might check out Hakone if the weather stays nice.
If you have any special gems or something hidden in the already mentioned places, please share. Any help is appreciated.

Thank you!

In Tokyo of interest are also Asakusa (Kaminari gate), Kanda Shrine (west of Akihabara), Hie shrine in Akasaka, Ueno Park and its historical museum (if you know the basics about the country's history) or Tokyo-Edo museum in Ryogoku (if you have no clue about Japanese history)... oh! if you don't have tatoos consider also Oedo Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba.

Close by (1-2 hours by train) are:

Kamakura/Enoshima has several shrines and temple

Nikko with the tombs of Tokugawa

Also consider Matsumoto Castle near Nagano (3-4 hours travel), but it would be ridiculous to have visited Japan, but not a single castle.

An alternative is Gifu castle near Nagoya... it might be far, but with the Shinkansen (not included in the JR Pass) you can reach it within a 2-3 hours.

On the other note, I could like spend entire two weeks in Akihabara.
In fact. I did.

But back then there were heck of a lot more smaller hole-in-the-wall stores selling pretty awesome stuff, tons of small antique game stores and such.
Oh, and that huge ABC building was still around. Heck I could spend two days just roaming through that building and having fun with shooting range and games.
I haven't been back to Japan in the recent years, but I think Akiba is a lot more consolidated now, it doesn't seem as fun as it used to be. I could be wrong.

Another place in Tokyo that I could spend time forever is Jinbouchou. The biggest book-city in the world.
Give me a town full of used bookstores, and you'll have to drag me out of there.

In Tokyo of interest are also Asakusa (Kaminari gate), Kanda Shrine (west of Akihabara), Hie shrine in Akasaka, Ueno Park and its historical museum (if you know the basics about the country's history) or Tokyo-Edo museum in Ryogoku (if you have no clue about Japanese history)... oh! if you don't have tatoos consider also Oedo Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba.

We spent hours in Akihabara XD

Anyway, we have plans to go to Oedo Onsen Monogatari. However, I do have a very feminine half-sleeve on my upper arm, so we are not sure if its worth the trip if we can't get in anyway. Very frustrating about their tattoo regulations...

Meh, look up a map of the country and where Fukushima is. I'd be more worried about actually finding a program that is appropriate.

It's part of the reason why I'm asking around for any popular well trusted universities with professors that can speak English. Thanks, for the concern. I plan to travel to Japan once I establish a connection with one of the researchers there.

Anyway, we have plans to go to Oedo Onsen Monogatari. However, I do have a very feminine half-sleeve on my upper arm, so we are not sure if its worth the trip if we can't get in anyway. Very frustrating about their tattoo regulations...

There are many cultural reasons for the tattoo deal in the Far East, not just Japan... similar to lash body and facial hair... my brother had a blast listening to all the comments about gorillas in their onsen

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knightrunner

I'm more worried about the long term effects than instant death from radioactive isotopes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knightrunner

It's part of the reason why I'm asking around for any popular well trusted universities with professors that can speak English. Thanks, for the concern. I plan to travel to Japan once I establish a connection with one of the researchers there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aohige

LOL you're like twenty times more likely to be shot dead in California than dying from radioactive contamination in Japan.

Well, the radioactivity from the boron in his room would probably kill him faster

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

Oh you reminded me of my friend when we were there it started to rain so he told me to put up my hood because of radioactivity. I put down my hood and got a little wet on purpose because he said that.

Indeed, some Japanese really freaked out, an acquaintance of mine left her husband and moved to Europe, because she was afraid about her newborn child getting cancer by growing up in Tokyo

Nonetheless, however much I can understand (but not agree with) the danger for the residents of the areas near Fukushima, it is just ridiculous to be scared of long term effects hundreds of miles away, particularly for short-term supposedly exposures on adults

@Knightrunner: Seriously?! Maybe Japan is not for you if you are worried so much about such things (peaople enjoy their lives there, it's not like Munich or San Francisco)

EDIT / Attendum concerning Miyajima: It's just a tourist soup, a little bit of Nara, a little bit of Kamakura, a little bit of Hie/Koya-san, etc... the only thing it is still missing is a castle Basically, avoid it unless you have no idea about Japanese history, religions and culture in general... or if you want to visit one place that will mix in shamelessly everything found in the country, it's best place to go

So looks like I'll be back in Japan .. basically almost at exactly the same time I was there last year. Looks like Kyoto (and surrounding), Kyushu (surrounding) and then briefly into Tokyo before heading home! 7 guys on a trip to Japan.. this'll be an absolute gong-show..

Just booked another trip for November. Sadly not counting the plane ride I will only have about 6 1/2 days there. But this is my 3rd time going back (and 2nd time in less than a year) so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Mainly going to Kyoto and the Kansai region to experience the autumn leaves. But I will be doing a couple days in Tokyo for some nerdy stuff as well.

I also will be going alone this time and people tell me I am crazy but after being to Japan twice I feel perfectly safe there and know how to get around.

People in the know: hanami is of course very nice, but what about the rest of nature in early April (Tokyo, Kyoto areas)? I imagine some of the more common places to see (parks, temples, etc.) might look quite nice (or better?) with more greenery later in the year. Do you have to trade one for the other?